Salvador Poveda ‘Borrasca’ 2002

A ‘high expression’ wine from Salvador Poveda, who you might know from their Toscar range. Low production from older Monastrell vines that are grown at high altitude. Very sensible use of big 500l french oak barrels too.  Production is limited to 7,000 bottles. Being from the 2002 vintage, its spent a bit of time in bottle which hasn’t hurt either.

The nose is quality monastrell: juicy plum, blue berry and honey with the trademark animal notes, a little dark cherry and nutmeg. Soft and rounded, but a few firm edges give interest as do the dusty tannins that are light and fluffy. It starts off all blueberry and violets on the palate, with some blackberry and plum with a touch of raisin. A bit of chewing tobacco too. Highly enjoyable, this one classy monastrell. Good value too. 91 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Salvador Poveda Moscatel NV

This is a good bottle to have in the fridge for those times when you need something sweet, but not heavy and sticky. There isn’t much in the way of details on this one appart from that its made from Muscat of Alexradria and Roman Moscatel, but I’m assuming that its made by allowing a partial fermentation of the latest year’s harvest that’s stopped by the addition of some grape spirit.This is very well priced too.

Nice goldern colour with a bit of viscosity. Aromas of lemon peel, seville orange marmalade, a bit of ginger and, well, muscatel grapes. Light, bright and fresh in the mouth, with a good dose of sugar but some acid to keep the finish fairly clean. The palate mirrors the nose for the most part, but shows some old oak character. The kind of thing you hope for when you find a nice lump of cheese at the back of the fridge at 11:30pm. 88 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $20 Closure: Cork Stopper

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Toscar Monastrell 2005

I've saved the best of these Toscar wines as the last post in the set. Before I tasted these 4, I wondered if the wine that the region is best known for, Monastrell, would come out on top. And it did. There is a bit more character with this wine, and if there is one thing I like in a wine, its personality and character. Many of the cheaper monastrells around can be a bit odd, but this is a good, honest wine that shows that a Monastrell that drinks well doesn't have to cost over $20.

As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell the earthy, dark cherry and plum and this built further in the glass show the classic wild animal and a touch of honey. Rustic and friendly, but quiet mouthfilling with bold flavours. Lush, chunky fruit tannin and a touch of acid adds real interest while the palate shows savoury plums, hot cinnamon, and some pen ink. A wine with true personality and rustic charm that is pleasure to drink with good Mediterranean style food. At $20 this would be a bargain, at $14 you'd fell like you've stolen it. 88 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Toscar Tempranillo Crianza 2003

 Ok, this is the 3rd of the 4 Toscar wines.  This one is a wood aged tempranillo, and its a good drink. It shows plenty of rustic, warmer climate tempranillo character and some nice wood treatment that is virtually unheard at this price point in Australia. While I have a stylistic preference for the cooler climate gear, you'd have to pay at least 10 to 15 bucks more than this to get something barrel aged from Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Toro. And for that all important midweek drink, price matters.

Opens up with a slight earthy undergrowth character and adds some plums vanilla, dried herbs and spices. A bit rustic in character, but as with all these Toscar wines, its easy drinking: rounded, fairly smooth and balanced. The palate shows some rocky plums, white pepper, and a touch of smashed up coffee beans. The finish is a bit drying with some sandy tannins. Overall, it a wine with plenty of interest and personality at a price you can't possibly complain about. 86 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Toscar Cabernet Sauvignon Crianza 2003

Alicante is well known for its Monastrell based wines, but there have also been large scale plantings of other Spanish and French varieties. The region is quite hot and dry, but also quite high in places so this allows for a good growing season without many dramas as long as it rains every now and then. The soils are mostly limestone, with very low nutrients and not a lot else but the vines and woody, weedy herbs growing in this harsh environment.

Aromas of blackcurrant and dark cherry liquor, pepper, chocolate and pepper. Smooth, well rounded with a longish finish and fine tannins. Medium bodied and savoury. In the mouth it shows bright fresh fruit that mirror the nose.  Another good wine from Toscar that is perfect with food and casual drinking. 87 Pts

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Toscar Syrah 2005

I've got 4 wines here from Alicate, so I sat down today and went through the lot.  Quite impressive for the asking price of $14, all of the wines are well balanced, show well ripened fruit character, are mostly medium boddied and easy to drink. Its the kind of stuff that is a great midweek drink or for the BBQ on the weekend. Well any time really. First up is this Syrah.

Aromas of plums and dark cherry, a touch of pepper, dried herbs and earth. In the mouth its smooth and balanced, medium bodied with light tannins and a touch of acid. Rustic with a bit of polish and well made from obviously good fruit. The palate mirrors the nose for the most part, but adds a bit of prune and more black pepper. Nice light, no hassle drinking that is well worth grabbing if you want something a bit different with your pasta or grilled meat. 87 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com 

Bodega Enrique Mendoza ‘Estrecho’ 2004

I went to a very interesting tasting yesterday, had a couple of very good wines and some top tier ports.  So I'm all fired up today, not that it takes much.  As a side note, I should have a couple of Spanish wines under screwcap to review in a couple of weeks, along side their cork closed brothers.  Old news for us Aussies, but not for the Spanish.

Anyway, this is clearly the benchmark Monastrell.  A big call as we only have a dozen or so wines available in Australia, but there you go.  High altitude, old vines, careful oak treatment and smart winemaking all add up to a top end wine.  I'd like to try this against some the top end French mourvedre based wines, I think the quality here would shine though.

A nice cherry red at the edge of the glass, a bit darker towards the centre.  An expressive and rich nose of cherry, mulberry, anise/clove,  pepper, a bit of toasty wood and musk that is really enticing.  The approach is very burgundian, elegant, smooth and supple with attention to detail in all the right places.  Foggy, smooth tannins, great balance and just the right level of acid.  Tart cherry, mulberry and plum with sage and minerals.  Very long finish.  Excellent stuff. 95 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $65 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2003

Bodega Enrique Mendoza Estrecho 2003

I've been in Sydney for the last couple of days and had a look around the "Spanish Quarter".   Hmmm… I can see why it is so confusing for many people to identify quality Spanish food and wine.  Most of the restaurants are reinforcing many of the myths about Spanish food and wine, a bit cheesy with average wine and loads of chili in the food (contrary to popular belief there is not a lot of chili in Spanish food, if it is used it's there for flavour not heat).  Good fun none the less and I found a good deli with excellent Jamon.  Thank god for places like Bodega, its a marvel.

Anyway, here is a very interesting Monatrell from Alicante.  This one is from a magnum, which is about the right size for this wine, it's highly drinkable and evolves constantly over a couple of hours.  The vines are up very high at 2300 ft and are over 50 years old.  The wine sees 14 months in 500 litre French oak barrels.  For the Brett nazi's, there is a bit of barnyard on the nose, but I don't think its brett related.  I decanted half of this into a 750ml bottle and will have another look tonight.

Dark reddish purple with cherry red towards the edge of the glass.  A lot of changes in the glass over the couple of hours I drank this, started off with pink musk sticks and cherry on the nose that built into blackberry, smoke, sage and rosemary, a bit of anise and barnyard and minerally earth.  It hovers in between medium and full bodied. Not rustic at all, rather elegant and refined. It does need a good decant to really show it stuff, but the evolution in the decanter is very interesting to watch.  Soft, chalky tannins build a velvety texture, with the acid to keep you mouth fresh.  On the palate there is tart blackberry and boysenberry with earth, herbs and some minerals.  Good length on the finish.  Well worth tracking down, probably the best monastrell I've had to date.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $140 (1.5 Ltr) $65 (750mls)

 Closure: Conventional Cork

Telmo Rodriguez Al Muvedre 2005

Each release of this wine has seen great improvement, this is definitely the best so far.  I can't tell if its good vintage conditions in 05, changes in wine making or something else completely. Alicante is in the province of Alicante, a bit closer to the coast than Jumilla and Yecla.  Not a lot of wine seems to make out of the D.O., but I notice that they grow Pinot Noir…

The 05 is a really smooth wine, with very good balance.  A purple/red colour in the glass, dark fruit, rose notes, earth and a few specks of pepper.  The alcohol is in balance with the fruit, the tannins are quite lush.  Medium bodied, but full of flavour. Very well priced too.  This will be great in autumn with a good stew.  87 Pts